Khamissa Xerri, the entrepreneur who illuminates African beauty with Enudium
Khamissa Xerri launched Enudium at a time when the African beauty industry is experiencing a remarkable boom. More and more women and men are looking for adapted products. They want to make the most of local ingredients and know-how. Her brand offers unique skin care products. They combine the best of African tradition with scientific innovation.
A revealing click: from frustration to inspiration
Khamissa Xerri did not come from the world of beauty. She first studied accounting and international trade. Later, she worked in the cell phone industry. However, during her travels, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, she realized something. She lacked beauty products adapted to her needs. They have to respond to the harsh climatic conditions. “Why is it that there are so few skincare products made in Africa, available here and that meet our needs?” she wonders. This frustration became the starting point for a bold entrepreneurial adventure.
Enudium: a name with meaning and ambition
The brand’s name, Enudium, is a tribute to the Akan culture of West Africa. “Ennu” means the fifth child, a special child, while “Dium” evokes divine light. The name symbolizes African heritage and the ambition to illuminate the beauty of every person. To found Enudium, Khamissa Xerri trained in cosmetic formulation and aromatherapy. She wanted to understand skin mechanisms, study the properties of ingredients and create products that were both safe and effective. “I wanted to go beyond existing formulas, to understand the creative process,” she explains. She then teamed up with a laboratory based in South Africa, with whom she developed tailor-made products.
Expertise for holistic African beauty
Khamissa Xerri had a clear vision from the outset. She wants to offer a complete range of skin care products. These must be adapted to all skin types. They must also take into account the specificities of black and mixed-race skin. “I wanted a complete range, with serums, creams, sun cream, body products, cleansers…” she explains.
Sunscreen is one of the brand’s flagship products. For Khamissa Xerri, it’s indispensable. It protects the skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Regardless of color. “Sunscreen is the key to everything,” she insists. “It’s a challenge to launch a sun cream for a small brand, but it was very important, especially for us who live in countries with high sun exposure.”
Flagship products for all skin types, even the most demanding
Barrier cream is another flagship product in the Enudium range. Its unique formula, based on ceramides, centella, calendula and arnica, strengthens the skin and protects it from external aggressors (pollution, oxidative stress, etc.). It repairs the epidermis, deeply moisturizes and calms inflammation. “It’s a cream that’s easy to use in any routine,” emphasizes Khamissa Xerri. Enudium products are also distinguished by their light textures, designed to be pleasant to use even in the hot, humid climates of Africa. “It was very important to take into account the humidity, the heat, to create textures that were pleasant to use in Africa too, while remaining very moisturizing, very protective”, says Khamissa Xerri.
Targeted distribution, between online presence and physical outlets
Khamissa Xerri has chosen a mixed strategy to distribute its products. She is present online via her website. She also has physical points of sale. These can be found in Dakar, Abidjan, Lagos and Los Angeles. “The particularity of skincare is that people often tend to want to touch them, to test them,” she explains. Enudium is already present in Africa and the United States.
Khamissa Xerri isn’t just creating a brand, she’s building a bridge between Africa and the world. Enudium is the reflection of this ambition, with a range of products that bring out the best of African terroir and appeal to all types of beauty. The internationalization of the brand is a natural next step, with its sights set on Europe and Asia, and a presence in the biggest beauty stores.
This strategy is based on premium products, made in Africa from local ingredients, derived from traditional plants and processed using unique know-how. “I want to be able to create premium products in Africa, of very high quality, using very high quality ingredients, combining our knowledge and using our traditional plants,” she declares, with determination
With Enudium, Khamissa Xerri isn’t just creating a beauty brand. She is shaping a movement, a new way of conceiving African beauty, rooted in the local terroir and open to the world. Her commitment to authentic African ingredients, combined with a holistic vision of beauty, makes Enudium much more than a brand: it’s a symbol of a creative, innovative and forward-looking Africa.
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